LIEUT T. E. Y. SEODON'S EXPERIENCES.

Hokitika Guardian, 6 November 1917, Page 4

LIEUT T. E. Y. SEODON'S EXPERIENCES.

TRENCH LIFE AND OBSERVATION WORK. ' In my last letter I think I told you I am attached to the 12th Nelson Company of the 3rd Canterbury Battalion, 4tli N.Z. Brigade. It was unfortunate my not getting with the old 13th (West Coasters) but one cannot have all the luck. However the 12th Company are good fellows and there is a fair sprinkling of West Coasters—mostly sawmillers in it. The patrol work in our present location is interesting and thrilling work, much more so than the settled trench warfare we had in the' early days at Armentieres. When we were in that then forward and - important position we had no other work to do. Now we go up into the front line putting out a further line under cover of the darkness. It’s a weird business. I have run across Hokitika boys and other Coasters up i there and our|greeting is always some cheery reference to the Coast. Their spirit is splendid. I must tell you a joke about the system of passwords. One has to be prompt when challenged by anyone for at times one , finds a nervy person and if one does not rap out the password the consequences as one fellow found ont, are serious. Well, the names of some members of Parliament had been used, and we grew tired of yelling out in reply to the repeated challenge. Coming further back in the communication trenches were some Aucklanders. We got the challenge and instead of responding with , 1 replied “ Old Albert Edward will do me.” There was a roar of laughter from the Aucklanders. T often wonder when sliding about the sloppy trenches how the men whose names we borrow for passwords were faring. Oh, those comfortable seats, and the glowing fires, and Bellamys! 1 had a great adventure the other day. In Armen fcieres I think I once told you how I went np a chimney stack to observe with our artillery officer the affect of our artillery fire. Onr artillery liason officer promised me a treat here, and we hied us olf to an O.P. (Observation Post) and there awaited the arrival of the telephonist. He was to transmit the messages to the battery. Well, the O.P. was a walnut tree, and according to the. old adage about a dog, a woman, and a walnut, tree, it must have been thoroughly well beaten, for it was very big and lofty. Everything was in order, and the day a good oiie for ns for there was a haze over Fritz’s line which would prevent him from easily picking upon flashes, and so the morning’s sport promised fair.

Fritz must have “ felt ” us there, for we had not begun operations when a burst of high explosive shrapnel burst about a hundred yards behind us. Not wishing to he shot like sparrows on a tree, we made for a dug-out and we were just going down the steps when crash came another shell just overhead. The artillery officer was going down the steps, the telephonist ahead and touching me and I following np. A bit of shrapnel got the telephonist while just at the back of me a blanket hung on some wire received four perforations The wound the telephonist got was a flesh one and after dressing it, lie -went off smiling ancl smoking and chatting to the stretcher bearers Blighty staring him in the face! As Fritz lopped a few more shells in our vicinity the sport was off for the day—but should we have another go up that tree you will hear about it—at present I am off walnuts ! Last night (August) was about the worst night I have been out in. We started off to do some work right out in front when the deluge came. How it teemed. The Coast could come only second to that performance. After being thoroughly saturated we were sent back, and this morning like 1 “ little Willies ” we had to stay in I bed until onr clothes dried. One I doesn’t carry a change in this outfit, so of necessity we stayed in bunk. Fortunately a mail reached our front trench and your Coast papers helped to pass away an otherwise dreary morning. We will soon be relieved here and then we go to a place where once I was A.R.T.O. I can’t describe it any better, but, saints alive, you’ll remember the location.

I had a Sunday “ ont ” of the lines, and made merry with Captain Doctor, Childs, and a Major. We went to a neighbouring town and I was surprised how glib and loquacious in French we all became when the necessary condiment was applied. My old battalion was near us for a few days. It was good to see all the boys again. I would like to be off with them again. However we shall see them soon I hope. (

I cabled through a friend to Sir Joseph Ward to get a pair with Downie Stewart about six o’clock closing. It seems to me at this distance that you are frightfully overdoing things in our dear little Dominion. Let them close hotels where soldiers make fools of themselves at 6 o’clock, but let ns on the Coast alone. It will mean a lot for our people. I cannot see liow the closing of the hotels is going to affect the soldiers. A few used to get drunk and disturb us in the huts at Trentham, but the disturbances were generally mild, and rather amusing than anything else. It happened rarely. Has it taken until the 33rds to find out the pernicious influence of after 6 o’clock drinking on the soldiers ? Tell the ladies to keep on sending the sox, and please convey to all the workers the appreciation of the men for the gifts,. Although not attached to the 13th Company, I see the sox are sent to our men and to them only for distribution.